Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna will be honored with a celebration of life public memorial on Monday in the Staples Center. Ahead of what will surely be an emotional day, one fan on Twitter shared a touching video of the two together right after Bryant won one of his five NBA Championships.
The two are hugging and share a kiss while the team celebrates around them. “Today is for them and them only,” the user wrote.
“They were so bonded from the start. God had to keep them together til the end,” one person commented.
“This one right here gets me every time still heartbroken,” another said.
ABC News will be streaming coverage of the memorial service via ABC News Live and can be accessed by using Roku, Hulu, Xumo, Sling TV, Facebook Watch, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and the ABC News mobile app. The coverage will be anchored by Tom Llamas and is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT.
Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, shared a heartbreaking message for fans three days after the death of Bryant and Gianna in a helicopter accident.
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri,” she wrote at the time.
“We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately.
There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.”
“I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them,” she continued. “But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever.
Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.”
